Sausage-stuffing machine



Nov. 19, 1935. Y D. BRIGHTBILL 2,021,331.

SAUSAGE S TUFFING MACHINE Filed July 2'7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 19, 1935.

D. B RIGHTBILL I SAUSAGE STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 27. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 j This invention relates to sausage stuffing machines of the rotary continuous feed type, wherein the minced meat is deposited in a chamber and thence conveyed through a suitable outlet into the skins in a manner similar to that disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,469,377, issued to me on October 2, 1923.

' The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is of sturdy, durable construction and comprised of relatively few operative parts, rendering said device capable of economic production.

Other features and details of the invention are set forth hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the machine, having certain parts thereof shown in sectionto disclose the detail construction of the drive connecting means for operating said stuffing machine;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the disclosure in Fig. 1, certain parts of the driving mechanism having been omitted for the purpose of more clearly illustrating other features of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in section on line 3-3, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to the disclosure in Fig. 3 showing the position of the blade after actuation by the drum.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral I indicates a base or frame, whereon is supported and secured, as by bolts 2, a casing 3 having an outwardly flared upper portion 4 in the shape'of a hopper or funnel and a restrictedlower portion .made with substantially vertical side walls 5 and 6,.frnt and rear walls I and 8, and a bottom 9, respectively. An outlet nozzle I Ilis provided in the front wall I for the conveyance of the meat out wardly of the chamber into the skins, the mouth of said nozzle I0 being externally threaded as at II for the attachment thereto of a spout I2 of the kind commonly used for this purpose. Removably journaled in hubs I3, N I3 externally formed on the side walls and 6, respectively, of

the casing 3, is a horizontal shaft I4 extending centrally through the chamber, and secured thereto by means of a key I5 is a cylindrical rotor or drum I6 having at least four radially extending wings or teeth I! designed to mesh with a blade 20 disposed in an appropriately formed seat I 9 extending across the inner side of the front wall I immediately above the nozzle I0 formed in the latter, said blade effectually sealing the space between the front upper wall and the drum I6 against passage of the meat and operable to draw or suck the meat downwardly from the hopper between the teeth I! as herein- 5- after described.

In the present instance the blade 20 is mounted on the plane surface of a pivotable member 2!, which is fitted into the seat I9 and has its extreme portions machined down to form support- 10 ing spindles 23 at each end thereof, said spindles being removably journaled in bearings 22, 22

formed externally of the side walls 5 and 6 of the casing 3.

In the present instance one of the spindles 23, i

of the adjacent hub I3 in order to limit rotation of the blade 20 within the casing 3. Rotation in the opposite or counter-clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 3, is limited by the inner edge I9a of the seat I9, which is engaged by the blade 20 mounted on the pivotal member 2 I. A coil spring v 26 embraces the adjacent hub 22 and one end thereof engages a pin 21 which projects from the adjacent side 6 of the casing 3 and the opposite end of said spring 26 engages the arm 25 adjacent its radial extremity. The spring 26 tends 30 to rotate the blade 20 in a clockwise direction in respect to'Fig. 3, which rotation as previously stated is limited by contact of the radial end of the arm 25 withthe adjacent hub I3. It will be noted therefore, that movement of the blade in a counter-clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 3, takes place against the action of the spring 25. In the present instance rotation of the drum I6 is in a clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 3 of the drawings and with said drum and 40 blade in the relative positions shown in Fig. 3, said blade is in its extreme clockwise position and upon further rotation of the drum I6 in the direction of the arrow, the front face of the next succeeding tooth I! will engage the blade 20 and rotate the same in a counter-clockwise direction against spring 26 until the blade is in a position to permit the peripheral surface of said tooth H to pass out of engagement with said blade and continue in free rotation. The rear or secondary face of the blade is provided with a plane surface disposed at an angle to permit said blade 23, the edge of'which is always in contact with the periphery of the drum, to be rotated in a clockwise direction by means of the spring 26, to the other extreme position limited by the arm 25 contacting the hub l3, thus always effectually sealing the space between the front wall and the drum against the passage of the meat.

Primarily the blade 23 functions to suck or draw the minced meat in the hopper 4 downwardly into the space between the wall and drum intermediate the successively spaced teeth I! of the latter as the blade is returned to the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of the spring 23, after each successive tooth I? actuates the blade in a counterclockwise direction with respect to andas shown in Fig. 4 to permit the radial extremity of the teeth to pass out of engagement with the blade, said blade is actuated to the position shown in Fig. 3 by the spring 26 and because of its contact with the periphery of thef'drumfl l6 creates a suction pocket at the hopper sidethereof which draws the minced meat downwardly into the teeth I! for carriage by the drum out wardly of the nozzle l3. This'arrangement of the blade 23 eliminates the necessary weights and agitators used heretofore to give the minced meat a downward movement so 'as to be engaged by the teeth of the drum.

It is pointed out at this time that as the succeeding teeth if of the drum move into position to discharge the minced meat carried between each pair of adjacent teeth outwardly of the nozzle H), the strength of the spring 26 pressure exerted downwardly on theblade 29 by the meat is suflicient to offset the pressure exerted by the teeth I! against the underside of the blade in discharging the meat outwardly of the machine. In addition, the blade 26 acts as a scraper to clean or remove any meat from the teeth and drum l1 and I6, respectively, that may tend to adhere thereto.

The shaft J4 carrying the drum I6 is driven by means of a disk 28 having a hub 29 fixedly secured on said shaft l4 by means of pin 3!], the disk 28 being provided with a series of radially disposed apertures 28a formed in the outer face thereof. In the present instance the disk 28 resides in a recess 3! formed in the inner face of the worm wheel 32 having a hub 33 which is rotatably mounted upon the shaft l4, and this worm wheel 32 meshes with a'worm gear 34 which is mounted on a shaft 35 connected to a suitable source of rotativepower such as motor M. The shaft 35 is rotatably supported in bearings 35, 35 formed on the extremities of brackets 31, 31, which are secured to the adjacent face of the base or frame I. Driving connection between the worm wheel 32 and the disk 28 is accomplished by means of a pin 38 slidably mounted in a lug 39 formed on said worm wheel 32 adjacent its periphery. A substantially L-shaped member 4!) is connected at one end as at 4| to the outer extremity of the pin 38 and at its vertex to a web formed on the hub 33 as at 42, the extremity of the other arm of said member 33 being rounded as at 43 in order that it may more easily ride upon the inclined surface of a frusto-conical clutch section 44 as the latter is actuated toward or away from the hub 33 on the shaft M. The conical section 44 is moved longitudinally of the shaft l4 by means of a lever 45 pivoted at 46 and connected to the hub by means of a wedge shaped collar member 4''! which rides within a grooved pulley 48 fixed on the -hub portion'49 of the clutching member It will be seen therefore, that when the arm or lever 45 is pivoted in a clockwise direction about its pivot 46, the clutch 44 will be moved longitudinally of the shaft l4 toward the hub This inward movement of the clutch 44 will cause the end 43 of the L-shaped member 40 to ride up the frusto-conical surface of said clutch and to pivot lever ii) in a clockwise direction, thrusting the pin 38 to the right with respect to Fig. 1 and engaging it with one of the apertures formed in the adjacent face of the disk 28. A spring 50 is connected between the arm of the member 43 and the hub 33, said spring tending to pivot said member 4!) in a counter-clockwise directiorn reference being had to Fig. 1, so that when the lever 45 is pivoted in the opposite direction to that before stated, and the clutch moves away from the hub 33 on shaft M, the pin sewn-1 be withdrawn from engagement with the aperture in the disk 28, thus breaking the driv- In the operation of the device; the minced meat is deposited in the hopper, which is designed to receive and hold a considerable quantity of said meat,rthereby-relieving the operator of the necessity of constantly filling the same. The mechanism being now set in motion through the application of power to the drive shaft 35, the drum lBrotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, carrying the meat as the same is drawn or sucked from the hopper by the by the intermittent actuation of the blade 20 and into the chamber, and out through the nozzle into the skins, the teeth 11 of the drum in turn actuating the blade 20. 7

It is often desirable'for the purpose of facili-- tating cleaning of the device to comply with the pure food laws, to construct the casing 3 with its side wall 5 as well as the blade 20 and drum l8 removable to permit access to the interior of the casing, and accordingly in the drawings, this side wall 5 is shown as detachablymounted by means of bolts 5a.

While it is preferable to embody the particular structural details disclosed in the present in-- vention, it'may be desirable to incorporate other mechanisms such as a different clutching means; to establish the driving connection, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: I

1. In-a machine including a'hopper for supplying material to the machine, the combination with a chamber including a wall having an outlet therein, of a toothed drum rotatable in said chamber and having its teeth arranged to contact the peripheral wall of the chamber, means 55 mounted above the outlet extending between the wall and drum and arranged for intermittent actuation by the teeth of the latter, and means operable to return said means to its initial poing connection to the shaft !4 and the drum I6. 20

sition. during the intervals between successive 30 actuations by said teeth whereby an evacuated suction pocket is created at the hopper side of the first mentioned means to effectually draw the material into said pocket from the hopper and between adjacent teeth of said drum for carriage 65 intermittent actuation by the teeth of the latter, and means operable to return said blade to its initial position during the intervals between successive actuations by said teeth whereby an evacuated suction pocket is created at the hopper side of the first mentioned means to efiectually draw the material into said pocket from the hopper and between adjacent teeth of said drum for carriage to the outlet.

3. In a machine including a hopper for supplying material to the machine, the combination with a chamber including a wall having an outlet therein, of a toothed drum rotatable in said chamber and having its teeth arranged to contact the peripheral wall of the chamber, pivotally mounted means above the outlet extending between the wall and drum and arranged I01 intermittent actuation by the latter, and means operable to return said means to its initial position during the intervals between successive actuations by said teeth whereby an evacuated suction pocket is created at the hopper side of the first mentioned means to efiectually draw the material into said pocket from the hopper and 10 between adjacent teeth of said drum for carriage to the outlet.

DAVID BRIGHTBILL. 

